Civic

Translated by Krishna Kumar கடந்த அக்டோபர் மாதம் 29ஆம் தேதி ஒரு இரு வயது சிறுவன் ஆழ்குழாய் கிணற்றில் விழுந்து இறந்த சம்பவம் தமிழ்நாட்டையே உலுக்கி சோகத்தில் ஆழ்த்தியது. அரசின் சார்பில் அடுத்து தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள அனைத்து திறந்த கிணறுகள், மற்றும் ஆழ்குழாய்களை ஆவண படுத்தும் வேலைகள் நடந்து  வருகிறது. இதையொட்டி சென்னை குடிநீர் வாரியம், சென்னை வாசிகள் அனைவரையும் தங்கள் திறந்த கிணறுகள் மற்றும் ஆழ்குழாய்களை நவம்பர் மாத இறுதிக்குள் தங்களிடம் பதிவிடுமாறு கேட்டுக்கொண்டுள்ளது  நவம்பர் 1 அன்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட இந்த கணக்கெடுப்பு, மாநகரத்தில் எத்தனை ஆழ்குழாய்கள் தற்போது புழக்கத்தில் மற்றும் பழுது நிலையில் உள்ளன என்பதை பற்றிய அறிய உதவும். தற்போது இத்தகவல் அதிகாரிகளிடம் இல்லை. நீங்கள் திறந்த கிணறோ, அல்லது  ஆழ்குழாயோ வைத்திருக்கும் சென்னை  வாசியாக இருந்தால் சென்னை குடிநீர் வாரியத்தில் அதை பதிவிடுவது அவசியம். இதற்கான படிவம் இணையத்திலும், உங்கள் அருகில் உள்ள குடிநீர்…

Air quality in all 15 locations sampled from across the city between May and July 2019 was unhealthy, with levels of PM 2.5 in the worst affected areas nearly three times the national standard of 60 ug/m3, according to a study released by Healthy Energy Initiative and Doctors for Clean Air-Tamil Nadu. The widespread nature of pollution and the fact that the samples were taken in summer highlights how the current pollution crisis is neither an isolated nor a seasonal incident. The study analysed 24-hour air samples for PM 2.5 and a host of heavy metals. The densely populated areas…

Chennai Corporation bags award for social innovation Chennai Corporation was bestowed with an award recognizing its social innovation initiatives. The award was for accelerating the transition towards a sustainable city through projects like Namma Chennai App and smart classrooms and was given by Governance Now, a public policy organization. Source: The Hindu Chennai Police launches "Thozhi" to counsel victims of child sex abuse 70 police women personnel have been assigned the role of  counsellors to child victims of sexual assault. The scheme known as "Thozhi" was launched by the city police commissioner A K Viswanathan. The 70 policewomen will be…

BBMP to take over all city lakes except three  All lakes in the city except Bellandur, Varthur, and Veerasandra will be handed over to the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), according to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister. Also, 628 acre of lake land that has been encroached, would be cleared. Bellandur and Varthur lakes are under the BDA (Bangalore Development Authority), and Veerasandra lake is with the BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd). Currently, 169 out of 200 lakes in Bengaluru are under the BBMP. It will now take over 38 more lakes.…

Twenty six years ago, on 1st June 1993, the 74th Constitutional Amendment or Nagarapalika Act was effected to give “power to the people” in urban governance. Under the 74th CA, ward committees had to be set up in all municipal corporations with population over three lakh, to ensure decentralisation, citizen participation and accountability. In the municipal corporations of Karnataka, elected representatives have posed total resistance to the setting up and functioning of ward committees. In Bengaluru, with constant pressure from citizens, more than 50 percent of wards now have ward committee meetings, though infrequently. But how are these meetings being held?…

It has suffered decades of neglect: languishing in dilapidated condition for years and later ravaged by fire. But, Humayun Mahal in Chepauk, the world’s first-ever building constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, is now slated for a new lease of life.  The long, creaking sound of walls being drilled into echo across the construction site on a mid-October Friday morning. Scraping the plastering off a wall in the interior of the building, B Raju, a 49-year-old worker wipes the sweat off his face. “We are following the same traditional methods followed to construct the building over 240 years ago,”…

Following the tragic demise of a two-year-old who fell into an unused borewell on October 29th, efforts are underway to document and secure open wells and borewells. To this end, the Metro Water department has called for all Chennai residents to register their open wells and borewells with the authority by November 10th. The exercise, which was announced on November 1st, is also a way for Metro Water to enumerate the number of functioning borewells in the city, for which up-to-date information is not available. How to register your borewell and open well If you are a resident of Chennai…

Rains don't fill up "rejuvenated" lakes Though BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has restored as many as 75 out of the 150 lakes under its purview, most of these remain dry in spite of heavy rains. BBMP officials admitted that lakes cannot depend solely on rainwater. Sewage inflow coupled with the absence of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the rejuvenated lakes, garbage dumping in the lake bed etc have led to further deterioration of lakes. BBMP officials said that lack of coordination among government agencies and paucity of funds also hampered rejuvenation efforts. Most rejuvenated lakes are now dry except…

A smoke-filled Chennai yet again this Diwali Though there have been contrasting reports from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), by all accounts, air quality levels post Diwali were poor. Pollution levels at several locations in the city went up on Deepavali, with concentrations of PM2.5 crossing 400 micrograms/cubic metre at Manali, Velachery and Alandur. However, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) data from five locations shows a completing contrasting picture. The city Corporation collected a total of 22.58 tonnes of cracker waste on Saturday and Sunday across all 15 zones, of…

Pondy Bazaar in Chennai has always been and will remain an evergreen destination. Visitors to the buzzing area can now look forward to new ways of experiencing it, thanks to the 'Pedestrian Plaza' project that prioritises pedestrians, especially children, the elderly and other vulnerable users. The Pedestrian Plaza is bound to attract more locals and foreigners, boost the economy and above all, enhance the identity of this shopping hub. This is the first infographic-based blog of a four-part series on how the Pedestrian Plaza project has transformed Thyagaraya Nagar. (Conceptualised and Designed by Kawin Kumaran, Aishwarya Soni; Content created by…